MICHAEL DENNING, Chairman of the Board

Michael Denning is a Professor of Practice in the W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University. His research and teaching interests center on marketing and entrepreneurship, especially in organizations undergoing transformation. Dr. Denning also coaches ASU's MBA Business Plan Competition Team which competes nationally.  Dr. Denning also currently assists graduates of the W. P. Carey MBA program in starting their businesses.

He is an angel investor in small business enterprises that show significant potential in technology fields. He has served on the Boards of Directors and interim President for many of these investments. Dr. Denning has been Chairman of three groups of The Executive Committee (a CEO development organization) and an executive consultant in turn-around situations, mergers and acquisitions, finance, global marketing and strategic planning. In addition, he served as a Director or Trustee of several non-profit organizations.

Previously he was president of several information technology firms that either were successfully sold or went public. He was Vice President of Marketing at Memorex Corporation, and held a variety of senior management and executive positions at IBM in four different divisions and at the group level, mostly in marketing, strategic planning and technology roles. More recently, he was President of !npulse Response Group, a Phoenix based global leader in direct response marketing. Currently he is President of Mortgages Ltd., Arizona's largest and oldest mortgage banker, as well as the executive representative and registered principal of Mortgages Ltd. Securities, L.L.C., a NASD member firm. He holds Series 63, 22, & 24 securities licenses.

Michael earned his Master’s degree from Columbia University and his Doctorate from Capella University in organization and management with a specialization in leadership.  

SHAMREN COLEMAN-FLETCHER, Director, President and CEO

Shamren Coleman-Fletcher has eight years’ experience in the college planning industry. Having served as National Director of Sales from April 2006 to May 2007, and Regional Director from January 1, 1999 to March 2006, for a major college planning company, Ms. Fletcher gained extensive knowledge of all facets of direct mail marketing campaigns, seminar management and fulfillment for students requiring college planning assistance.

She was responsible for the management of a sales force of over 100 throughout the United States, as well as the national direct mail marketing campaigns, seminar coordination and enrollment process.

From June 1998 to January 1999, Ms. Fletcher was the Owner/President of a consulting firm that worked with small companies, assisting them with internal management of staff and assessment of ways to increase profitability.  Previously, she also worked as the National Director of Sales for a retail furniture company from September 1985 to May 1998 which, under her guidance, grew from $7 million to over $21 million in annual revenues with 120 retail stores and 360 employees.

RICHARD SHANLEY, Director

Mr. Shanley retired from public accounting at the end of 2006 having completed a 31 year career at Deloitte & Touche LLP & Eisner LLP, with a combined total of 25 years as a partner at the two firms.

He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Harris & Harris Group, Inc, ("TINY”), a publicly-held venture capital company based in New York City.

Mr. Shanley is both a CPA and has an MBA.  During his over 31 years of diversified professional services experience, he served as lead audit partner on numerous audit engagements for both public and private companies, including those requiring application of Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404, as well as public stock offerings, primarily for biotech, pharmaceutical and high-tech companies. His experience in pharmaceuticals and biotech has been continuous and spans more than 25 years. He is a recognized authority on financing for emerging growth companies and the author of the well received book “Financing Technology's Frontier”, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

He is an active member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is currently serving his third term on the New York State Society of CPA’s Professional Ethics Committee. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in New Jersey and New York.

Rich earned a B.S. with a major in Psychology from Fordham University and an M.B.A (with distinction) in Accounting from Long Island University.

LEONARD VIGNOLA, Director

Leonard Vignola is a founding partner of Beacon Partners, which was established in 1976 to provide hands-on assistance to under performing companies. Mr. Vignola's early clients included Remington Shaver through assistance given to Mr. Victor Kiam, in its acquisition and subsequent turnaround.

His assignments with Beacon Partners have included numerous functional challenges. He has served as COO of an optical lens-forming equipment manufacturer; CFO of an environmental remediation corporation; and CEO of a computer peripheral company. He has led or participated in assignments ranging from Chapter 11 reorganizations and divestitures to startups of new ventures.

Previously, Mr. Vignola was founding partner and officer of Patricof & Co., and an officer of Marwit Capital (a Small Business Investment Company). He was founder and president of a lottery ticket vending machine company, and is a former director of internal operations analysis for PepsiCo and its operating companies. He started his career in the steel industry, where he was controller of the Cuyahoge Rod & Wire division of US Steel, director of planning for Crucible Steel, and senior consultant with Checchi and Company, an international consulting firm, where he undertook engagements involving the European steel industry.

Mr. Vignola is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve. Len is founder of the Connecticut chapter of the Turnaround Management Association and of the Connecticut Venture Group and has served as past president of both organizations. He is also active in numerous other professional and civic activities.